Local News-Thursday, Jan. 4th

The Schuylkill County Commissioners were asked to approve various grant proposals at their work session Wednesday. The County Emergency Management Agency asked for approval to apply for three grants. One of grants for just over $2-million-dollars is an annual one between the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the county on behalf of the East Central Pennsylvania Counter-Terrorism Task Force. The money will come from the Homeland Security grant program and will be used for equipment, training, planning, and administration. No county funding is required. The other two grants amount to just under $85-hundred-dollars for the hazardous materials program. The federal share is 80 percent, with the county responsible for 20 percent. Schuylkill Women in Crisis in Pottsville and Gaudenzia in Fountain Springs asked for approval to apply for $235-thousand-665 dollars from the state’s Emergency Shelter Grant program. The monies will be used for renovations and maintenance projects. No county matching funds are necessary. The North Central Highway Safety Network asked for approval to apply for a grant of $400-thousand-dollars for a PennDot funded “Click it or Ticket” next generation project. Schuylkill Community Action asked to apply for a $90-thousand-dollar grant to support their affordable housing activities. The Commissioners will act on the requests at their board meeting next Wednesday.

The case of a Tremont man causing a crash that killed a motorcyclist is headed to Schuylkill County Court. A preliminary hearing was held yesterday for 82-year-old Robert McCloy, who is charged in the June accident where 38-year-old Rodney Lewis of Valley View died.
The Pottsville Republican reports that McCloy was returning to his home from vacation when he is alleged to have fallen asleep at the wheel, crossing into the path of Lewis’s motorcycle. Lewis died from multiple blunt force trauma, according to the autopsy. McCloy is charged with homicide by vehicle, a felony, simple assault and other motor vehicle violations. District Judge Carol Pankake ruled that there was enough evidence to move the case to Schuylkill County Court.

A fast moving fire ravaged an apartment complex in Mt. Carmel last night, leaving ten people homeless. The Shamokin News Item reports that a man reported the fire at Second and Vine Street after 6pm, with the top floor of the building fully involved when fire crews arrived.
The third floor was basically destroyed, with the first and second floors experiencing heavy smoke and water damage. Several adjoining homes on either side of the property were damaged as well. Initially, there were reports that people were trapped in the home, but it appears that everyone got out safely. There is no definitive cause of the fire yet, but the investigation continues.

The unemployment rate in Schuylkill County was up a bit in November. Statistics released by the state Department of Labor and Industry indicate that the 5.6 percent rate of unemployed persons was an increase of about half a percent. That compares to 5.8 percent for the same period last year. Statewide, the unemployment rate was 4.5 percent, an increase of two tenths of a percent from October. Nationally, the unemployment rate was up slightly, to 4.5 percent.

A proposed storage shed project in Schuylkill Haven has some residents concerned. The project is planned to be constructed next to the sewer treatment plant on St. Charles Street, a low lying section of the borough. According to the Pottsville Republican, several residents in the neighborhood told council that the area experiences flooding every time we receive heavy rains, and the prospect of the storage facility could magnify the problem. Borough officials indicate that there are some water line problems in the area, that once repaired, may alleviate flooding. They are hoping to use some of the money the borough was awarded from FEMA for flood damage to make those repairs, once the move is approved by the federal agency. In other business, there will be no increase in real estate taxes in 2007. The millage rate is set at 4.75 mills.